Surprise, Surprise
by Lucicelo
Summary: Sandra and Andrew Blackwood expected a regular and boring trip to the supermarket. Nothing too interesting, same old, same old. Until, Sandra thought she saw their grump of a Potions Professor while fetching produce for her mum.


_**A/N: This is based on this post on tumblr where a muggleborn student bumps into Snape at the** **grocery** **store. I lost the link to the post, but I will add it in when I find it or someone links it to me. I created two muggleborn siblings, Sandra Blackwood (Hufflepuff third year) and Andrew Blackwood (Gryffindor first year) for this oneshot.**_

 ** _If you'd like to buy me a coffee through using Ko-Fi, to help fuel me to update even more, you can find the link on my tumblr: Lucicelo._** _**  
**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **-Lucicelo**_

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Tagging along with her mother and younger brother, Andrew, to the supermarket, Sandra glanced at different products with the intent of tossing them in the cart. Knowing her mother's strictness in keeping the snacks to a minimum, she looked at anything less sugary than usual. Her brother attempted to toss anything into the cart, but their mother's keen and sharp eyes located the product, criticized it, then demanded it back onto the shelf. Not that it stopped her brother from continuing on doing it. At some point, he received a smack on the hand and a glare from their mother.

Growing bored after ten minutes, Sandra let out a deep sigh, which prompted her mum to send her off to grab produce. Andrew tried snickering at her having to fetch fruit and veggies, until their mum turned to him, sending him to grab the rare frozen food items they bought to keep him busy. She hid a smirk as her brother pouted on his way toward the freezers. Her mum retold the produce they needed and sent her off.

Sandals smacking against the floor, she located the right area without issue and kept on repeating the list in her head. Seeing few people around the area, she looked at the people with feigned interest. One man stood out in the crowd, making her take a second look and pause. From the tall stature, long sleeves, which she thought odd for the scorching heat, and slim figure, she thought she remembered _seeing_ this man before. She just couldn't place him.

Rubbing her eyes, Sandra focused her gaze on the tall man picking out apples who tossed undesirables back on the pile. This _bugged_ her. She _knew_ him from somewhere.

Remembering her mum sending her for an errand, she shuffled toward the closest fruit to her. Trying not to seem obvious, she went over to the bananas, faking her way through checking on them while sneaking glances at this man. Taking in his shoulder length hair, his back faced her view, shielding her from his face, she waited for him to do a three quarter degree, anything to give her a view of recognition.

She shoved bananas into a bag, then moved onto the peaches. Once the man turned around to walk in her direction, she snapped her head forward. Cursing herself for missing her chance, she peered from the corner of her eyes. She thought she recognized the profile, but she wasn't sure of her conclusion. She might embarrass herself if she got the wrong guy or caught his attention on account of her staring.

Abandoning her mini quest, she grabbed the rest of the produce in different bags. Shuffling away, she almost bumped into her brother as she walked around the corner into one of the aisles. He dropped the frozen food in his arms. Some of the plastic bags clutched in her hands slipped from her grip.

"Shite, where are you going in such a hurry?" Andrew cringed at some of the bent corners of the boxed frozen food he dropped on the floor. Sighing, he collected them to the side with his foot. "Mum didn't yell at us to hurry up did she? I swear, I didn't hear her."

"I thought I saw someone." Sandra settled the non bruised produce on the floor before rubbing the palms of her hands. "Kind of weird."

"Huh?"

"I think I saw Snape when I was getting the fruit and veg. I didn't get a good look at his face to make sure." Her harsh whisper caused her brother's eyes to widen. He peeked around her, trying to see anyone dressed in bat like robes.

Andrew narrowed his eyes, his nose wrinkling as he grasped onto his sister's arm. "You sure? I don't see the bat."

Looking over her shoulder, Sandra bit her bottom lip. She pushed her pointer fingers together. "Well...he's wearing all black and was getting onions last I saw him."

His attention went toward the only man wearing all black and his face blanched. " _No way._ "

"Yeah, I know."

"You're the older one, you go talk to him! See if it's him!" Andrew hissed to her, pushing her toward the direction of their professor, she didn't budge one inch.

Maneuvering around him, Sandra scoffed. "So much for being a _brave_ Gryffindor."

"I'm _not_ stupid enough to risk _my_ life. I'm just a first year! _Go_!"

Sandra nudged him forward. " _You_ go!"

" _No_!"

"Kids? What's taking so long?" Both of them jumped at the sound of their mother's impatient voice coming closer toward them. Walking around the corner of the aisle, she saw them huddled behind a display for some beverage. Looking down at the floor, she saw the items she sent them out to retrieve for her. Narrowing her eyes at their behavior, she asked them. "I'll bite. Why are the _both_ of you acting so strange?"

"Um..."

"Well..."

Seeing her mother's growing annoyance, Sandra gulped. "I thought I saw one of my professors from our school. _Here_. At Tesco."

"Oh really?"

Andrew chipped in. "Both of us were surprised, mom! We never knew that professors shopped like the rest of us."

Sandra face palmed at her brother's ridiculous comment. "Andy..."

Their mother let out an exasperated sigh. "Sweetheart, teachers are _not_ robots. Honestly, did you expect teachers from your boarding school to _not_ shop at Tesco? I'm sure there are plenty of...what did that woman call them..muggleborns...living around here. Who is this professor anyway?"

Andrew shuffled his feet on the floor. "Professor Snape."

Mum shrugged her shoulders. "I'll go say hello."

" _No_!" Came their simultaneous cry.

"And, _why_ not?" Their mum arched a brow. "I have introduced myself to many of your instructors before. What's so different about this one? _Oh_. Don't tell me you two get in trouble with this professor during the year?"

Sandra denied the claim before her mum went on a tirade. "No, mum, he's the strictest one out of all the professors. Well...he's stricter than Mcgonagall and that's saying something."

"Hmm..." Their mum tapped her chin, she shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter. It seems impolite to ignore him. n the meantime, pick up our groceries." She maneuvered around the cart and bee lined for the man that her children assumed was Snape.

Sandra cried out. "Mum! _No_!"

Andrew muttered. "How many points do you think Professor Snape will take from our houses when we go back to school? Maybe, mum won't say our last name."

"Don't jinx it!" Sandra winced before tugging her brother down on the floor to pick up the frozen food while she grabbed the plastic bags.

Wandering up to the man dressed in black, their mum made her presence known. "Excuse me, sir? Sorry to bother you, but, are you Professor Snape?"

Pausing in picking up a bag of potatoes, Snape turned to her, observing the woman for a moment, he searched through his memories to recall her image. Nothing popped up. He didn't match her to any witches he met throughout his life or the ones taught back in Hogwarts. The age crossed off the possibility of this woman was an ex-student he taught. Maybe, a muggleborn students parent?

"Yes." He drawled out enough to seem polite.

"Good to know," Julia turned to Sandra and Andrew, motioning them to her side. "Come here." Seeing no choice but to obey, the kids went to her side, keeping a slight distance away.

Once he saw two kids walk up to them, Snape readied himself for a complaint from a parent. Better yet, a complaint from a _mother_. He never had parents walk up to him in person and relay the tales that their _precious_ child told them in his career. Many of the parents choked it off as their kids being irresponsible for their schoolwork. Then again, he never encountered the parent of a muggleborn student outside of relaying information in their child's first year. Those visits were rare, not when he dove into research throughout the summer.

Observing the mother, she didn't seem angered or annoyed. In fact, she smiled at him, but when she turned to her kids, she kept a stern stare at them. Meaning, she didn't have any reproachful words to say to him. A _relief_. At least, he hoped his lazy day of errands didn't turn sour.

"It's a pleasure to meet another one of my children's teachers, I'm Julia Blackwood." Julia reached out her hand and shook hands with Snape, missing the horrified, simultaneous stare, from her children. "I'm so sorry for their rudeness. My husband and I, did _not_ raise such _disrespectful_ children." She glared down at her kids as they kept silent throughout their exchange. "When they told me that they recognized you, I wanted to say hello on their behalf."

Snape nodded his head. "I see." He peered down at students, recognizing the somewhat decent students who didn't cause _too_ much mischief. A _Gryffindor_ and a _Hufflepuff_. He concealed his amusement at their apparent _fear_ of him. "They are... _adequate_ in my class. Less troublesome than other students I tend teach."

Sandra and Andrew's jaws dropped at the _compliment_. Looking at each other, they pinched each others arms, biting back their yelp of pain as to not bring attention onto them.

This was _real._

"Good to hear." Julia smiled. "I always wondered what happened in their school. They don't tell me much. It's not like your boarding school has yearly meeting with the parents of their students and have in depth reports told to me in person. I have to rely on the information they _want_ to give me or I pry it out of them. Although, I do get a small letter at the end of the year from Sandra's head of house."

"Ah yes, Pomona tends to pay close attention to her Hufflepuff students." Snape found the practice a waste of time, his old head of house never sent progress reports to his parents. The man paid closer attention to his future investments than keeping an eye on his Slytherins or teaching for that matter. Regardless, Pomona remained a popular staple to send, alongside Minerva, to speak with muggleborn parents.

Continuing on this interesting conversation, Snape glanced down at the children, who stayed quiet until their mother made a comment which prompted either one of them to interject. Mrs. Blackwood reprimanded her children when they stepped out of line, impressing him at her swiftness in correcting the behavior of her kids.

Checking the time on her watch, Julia began the notions of excusing herself. "Thank you so much for answering some of my questions, Professor Snape. I think we've taken more than enough of your time."

Snape nodded his head. "It was no issue."

Andrew and Sandra snapped out of their daze, readying themselves to hurry away from Snape at a moment's notice. Once their mum said her good-bye, they did the same before she urged them to do so. As they were leaving, they thought they saw an amused smile on Snape's face, but they choked it off as a trick of the light.

No one at Hogwarts would believe them if they told them about this encounter.

 _ **The end.**_


End file.
